The Mission
by Lunawrayth
Summary: It wasn't that Hinata never expected to work with Naruto, just never on a mission quite like this. Rated M for later content, just to be safe. This is a NaruHina story.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Author's Notes: So this story steps well outside my comfort zone. Not that I've never read something similar in books or otherwise but writing it and then POSTING it goes against many of the alarm bells ringing in my head. I've received some very wonderful feedback on my other stories and decided to take a chance. If you do not like stories such as these please just move on to something else. I won't claim expertise in writing this type of story either so for those of you who do enjoy stories like this hang in there with me and comment. I would love to improve. As always, Thank you!

~Luna

 _NOW_

Hinata couldn't quite believe the situation she was in, or the boldness of her own behavior. When she'd met Naruto to train she hadn't planned on straddling his lap wearing a sinfully short skirt and nipping at his earlobe.

A kunoichi's life was very rarely predictable, or sane but Hinata found that some things were generally constant. For instance, when you get assigned a mission with the man you've loved for years, you get both excited and nervous. When that mission turns out to be a rather risqué one you get embarrassed and pray to Kami that you don't make a fool of yourself. The fact that Hinata had shocked all of her teachers by passing her seduction classes with marks higher than all but two other kunoichi in the history of the village should have prepared her. And it had, she had completed a near record breaking number of seduction missions. She just hadn't been prepared to have to use those skills on Naruto. Or more accurately _with_ Naruto to seduce information out of a man like Tsubasa Yoji.

Tsubasa Yoji, was a wealthy man currently neck deep in the black market that targeted kekai genkai users. Being a kekai genkai user herself, Hinata was more than willing to help bring him in. She was determined to stop him, because Tsubasa was very good at what he did, his file was thick with the names of his victims. The only problem being that he was also very good at covering his tracks. Konoha was aware of his participation in this black market only because of Ibiki's rather thorough interrogation of an associate of Tsubasa's a little over a week ago. This associate was no longer in his right mind and wouldn't be participating in any more illegal activities but he had divulged the fact that Tsubasa had set up several hits in the next month. Prior to those hits he would be on vacation at one of his favorite villages in the Land of Water.

This village held a reputation for having several clubs that catered to various interests. Tsubasa's associate had been kind enough to tell Ibiki all about Tsubasa's interests. None of which turned out to be innocent. He liked subtlety, nothing to overboard but that seemed to make the Hokage think that Hinata was the best person for the job. What made her think that _Naruto_ of all people was the right partner for Hinata in this mission Hinata would never know.

 _THEN_

When she'd been called to the Hokage's office and received her mission she hadn't thought much of it until Tsunade had said Naruto's name. That had brought Hinata to sharp attention and caused her to blush rather embarrassingly. She had quietly asked the Hokage why Naruto had been selected and Tsunade had answered with patience. A testament to the fact that Hinata very rarely questioned her superior about anything.

"Tsubasa likes to watch the subtle interplay between men and women. He apparently has a bit of an interest in observing this interplay between people with differing personalities, the file will give you more detail." Tsunade said easily.

"Hai, Hokage-sama but Naruto-kun is…" Hinata began quietly but found herself drifting off in uncertainty.

"He's powerful, quite possible the most powerful being alive today and certainly the most powerful in this village, disregarding Sasuke and even then I'm not sure it's anything less than a tie if you push it." Tsunade's voice was firm and sure.

"Hai" Hinata couldn't really argue that fact and she didn't really want to, but she found her mind racing to find something that would disqualify the blond shinobi from the mission. When nothing came to her she sighed and lowered her head.

"Hokage-sama, I'm not sure that Naruto and I would work well together." She said finally.

Tsunade raised any eyebrow and tapped her fingernail on the desk in front of her. "Really? I was under the impression that you and he had developed a friendship of sorts." Her eyebrow lowered and she frowned at Hinata. "Am I mistaken?" "No, Hokage-sama." Hinata winced, she didn't really want to tell Tsunade the real reason.

After her confession in the battle with Pein Hinata had expected Naruto to be awkward with her, to be uncomfortable in her presence and to avoid her. It had been the opposite. He had been wonderfully kind and even caring. Naruto actively sought her out on several occasions and made it obvious that he was trying to take their relationship to another level. It just happened that the level he was aiming for was friendship, a close cherished friendship but that was it. He'd never spoken outright about her confession and had never made a confession of his own in either direction. Hinata was left to assume that while he cared for her it didn't mirror her own feelings. She was happy to have a relationship with him in any capacity. But the thought of completing a mission where she would have to be sexual in almost every sense if not every way with Naruto made her heart ache and her stomach flip.

After a moment Hinata shook her head and straightened. Tsunade smiled, "I have no doubt you will perform your duty admirably. However, I would suggest that you meet with Naruto once a day for the next week and a half. For several hours if possible to build an ease and comfort with each other that will be essential to this mission. Do I need to detail the…Training….that I wish you to complete in that time?"

Hinata blushed crimson and cursed her fair skin, "No, Hokage-sama. I am aware of the training that is necessary." "Then you are dismissed, on your way out would you please send Naruto in?" There was a wicked glint in Tsunade's eyes as she asked this last question and Hinata fought to control her discomfort. "Of course" she said before bowing and turning to exit the office. "Oh and Hinata?" As the pale eyed kunoichi turned Tsunade smiled a pleasant smile, "I'll be sending Ino over with clothes for your mission. They've been specifically chosen, particularly those for the club. And I'll send the file with the information pertinent to the mission with Naruto. Should I tell him to meet you somewhere or would you like to set it up?" Hinata exhaled carefully and said "I'll set it up with him before I leave, thank you for your consideration Hokage-sama".

There had been the implied need to acquaint themselves more intimately. Even the suggestion that physicality would mean everything to the success of the mission. Naturally that provided a good starting point for preparation. It didn't ease Hinata's nerves in the slightest. She'd been surprised by Naruto's seemingly easy acceptance of the mission.

He was relaxed, excited by the prospect of catching Tsubasa. The fact that he would have to work so closely with Hinata made him happy and all he had to say on the topic was, "This will be fun, we haven't worked a mission just the two of us before!"

Hinata had begun to think that he didn't understand the full extent of the mission, she'd been working up the nerve to ask him and explain if necessary when he'd shocked her by admitting, "I'll need your help with this, I missed all the seduction classes when I was training with Ero-Senin. I have practical experience but I'm not sure how well that will tie in to the control aspect of this. " Blushing just a little while rubbing the back of his head.

So Naruto set the tone for discussing the mission though Hinata scolded herself for expecting anything less than a head on approach. Blushing herself and unable to do anything about it or stop it from deepening she smiled a small smile and said, "Ano, that's okay Naruto-kun. I've had the training and I'll help you as much as you need. "

Hinata decided that the only way to make it through this mission and have any chance of success would mean putting her feeling for him aside. Focusing on being completely professional was the only way and Hinata was good at her job. She'd trained hard and when fighting hadn't been her strongest asset she'd made herself useful in every way she could. Her softer nature and temperament made missions requiring a lighter touch ideal. And her figure as she'd matured as well as her natural sensuality that had developed with that figure made seduction simple for her. She was understandably confident in her abilities in that area and it wasn't the first time she'd had a partner on a seduction mission, male or female.

Seduction missions were rare, especially for male shinobi but that didn't mean that they weren't a reality. Each member of the village who wanted to remain on active duty understood they could be assigned to one. There were of course those who showed an affinity for them, like Hinata.

As a consequence she'd been sent on more than all of her peers except Ino who had different qualities and a confidence that made her an ideal counterpart to Hinata for some of the missions. They were often paired together, an easy duality that almost always guaranteed success. Hinata had developed a close relationship with Ino because of this and thought briefly of calling her in to help. Deciding that doing so would be cowardly she pushed the idea away as a last resort.

Steeling herself she looked at Naruto and asked, "How much experience do you have Naruto-kun?" Even as she asked this she knew she would have to answer the same question to him. She waited patiently as his blush deepened and he looked away. "How specific?" he asked. "As specific as you can", a pause and then wincing she said "without details." Naruto answered in his usual casual frankness despite his blush. "I've had sex more than once." Hinata nodded and ignored the pang in her chest and the slightly queasy feeling in her stomach.

As shinobi they lived lives constantly in danger of ending too soon. So many died before reaching thirty that they often lived fast, hard and with a small amount of desperation. Very few even made it to twenty and less than that waited much past sixteen or eighteen to have intercourse. It was an accepted fact and considered tactless to ask or pass judgment when it came to this decision. Contrary to what most of the village believed the Hyugga though a prominent clan, was a _shinobi_ clan. They followed the same unspoken rules as most other shinobi. They just imposed more of their own rules on their clan members.

Naruto waited quietly and if he was uneasy with learning her level of experience he didn't show it. It hurt her just a little that he wouldn't care, that he didn't share her feelings and she wondered briefly if this mission might help her to grow numb to those feelings, maybe even help her to move on.

Looking him straight in the eye in an unexpected show of confidence she said, "I've had the same level of experience, so we'll be better off than if one of us was behind the other. " He seemed momentarily shocked and mildly surprised.

"We should decide where to begin, we need to be… comfortable with each other. Touching will be important and we need to be able to convince anyone watching, especially Tsubasa that we've been and are intimate with each other." she said looking away at the last part of the last sentence.

Naruto nodded seemingly recovered from her revelation. Tilting his head sideways and squinting his eyes in the way he often did when he was younger he said "We should also see each other in something else besides our uniforms to help adjust to how we'll look on the mission. It should eliminate the chance for surprise reactions." It was a logical proposal and Hinata had been thinking much the same thing, she'd just hoped to leave that until later to allow time to adjust to touching each other.

After an initial awkward start they settled on taking slow steps. They sat cross-legged across from each other and it was Hinata who took the initiative and held her hand out to him. Naruto was an affectionate person. He was quick to touch and quite comfortable with being touched with very few exceptions. So he didn't hesitate to reach out and take Hinata's hand. Then raised his other and offered it. He was familiar with the feel of her chakra simply from proximity and he closed his eyes and let the calming waves wash over him seeming to enjoy the feeling on his skin where their hands touched. Hinata wasn't as relaxed at first but she settled in and as the awkwardness dissipated she closed her eyes as well.

After a short time she opened her eyes and releasing his hands slid her hands up his arms. Moving to kneel before him she took a silent breath and slid her hands from his forearms to his biceps. Naruto's eyes had opened but retained their lazy haze. He didn't seem bothered at all by her touch and her heart clenched. When he offered no resistance she moved on to his shoulders and paused. "Is there anywhere you are uncomfortable with me touching you?" she asked quietly. She registered a second later the suggestions of the question when it came to their mission and flushed slightly.

Naruto watched the flush rise and smiled before answering "I can't think of anywhere". She nodded and figuring it was in for a penny in for a pound she slid her hand across his shoulders and down to his chest tracing his collarbones. Without meaning to she let her training kick in. Her touch remained light but with more pressure than she would have like on her own skin. Moving her hands to his pectorals Hinata used her nails to scrape just lightly enough to drag against the material of his jacket. At that Naruto did jump. She stopped and realizing her eyes were half lidded and her mind and body were immersed in the sensation of soft cloth over hard flesh she blinked and pulled her hands away. "I…" she began but Naruto interrupted her with "My turn."

Her eyes widened a little as his hands settled on her shoulders and she worked to keep her reaction to herself. Holding still she watched his eyes follow his hands as they slid down her arms and across her hands before returning to her shoulders and ghosting up her neck sliding beneath her hair and then around and up to her face. There he paused a second before moving his fingers across her cheeks and then up to ghost over her lashes after her eyes closed.

Removing his hands he settled them on his knees. Hinata opened her eyes and was grateful that she'd managed to hold still while he'd touched her. It wasn't like with others and she'd come to the realization that no amount of training was going to allow her to remain completely unaffected by Naruto's touch. In a way that would help the mission the professional side of her pointed out. The more real the reactions the more believable it would be.

Then she frowned, that meant that there was a problem on Naruto's end. He was unaffected by her touch, it would be harder to convince Tsubasa of a relationship between them. "What is it?" Naruto asked, a furrow forming between his brows and a frown on his mouth to match hers. "Did I push too hard?", "No, That's not it. You did fine, it's just something else. She said quietly and tried to think of a way to explain without giving away to much of her own reaction. "It's just that I'm not sure we have enough time to make this believable." She sighed and sat carefully back to allow the blood to resume normal flow in her legs.

She rubbed them to ease the tingling and then jumped when Naruto's hands settled over hers. "It'll be alright. We can do it. We just need more time. We've only just started" he reassured her. He wore his foxy grin and it succeeded where his works did not in getting her to smile.

Author Comments: Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Author's Notes: Wow! I cannot believe the response I've gotten for this story. So much so that I am going to go ahead and post Chapter 2 earlier than I had originally planned. Some of you asked for a longer chapter this time. This is slightly longer but not by much. I'll work to lengthen future chapters for a better reading experience. There was also a request to know who Hinata's previous partners have been. I will give more details in the future. This chapter is just laying a little more ground work for the story ahead. I hope you enjoy! As always, I look forward to your input so please review!

The next time they met Hinata was prepared to suggest they talk in more detail about how they would approach the actual objective of the mission. Namely finding the information that they needed to not only stop the newest hits but to take down Tsubasa, and his entire network. The ugly truth of the matter was that cutting the head off the snake only rarely stopped organizations like this. There were often more than enough underlings ready to step into the breach. Taking Tsubasa out too early, and not removing his lieutenants with him, could cause a catastrophic fracturing of the organization. Instead of dealing with this one known, Konoha would find themselves dealing with several unknowns. Something that Hinata was going to do her best to avoid.

They met in the same place, a remote training ground just on the outskirts of the village. Hinata arrived first and seeing that Naruto was not yet there moved to sit in the shade of a tree. She placed the file she had brought with her on the ground opening the covers and beginning to review the information as she waited. The breeze blowing across the training ground made the papers flutter and she paused to find several small rocks to weight them down before they could blow away. Hinata had started to arrange the papers in a pattern on the ground when Naruto arrived.

He called his customary greeting as he dropped from the branches of the tree above her to land with a slight displacement of air beside her. The papers ruffled and a few pulled loose from the rocks on their corners shuffling out of line. "Oh sorry! What is this anyway?" Naruto said as he bent to help her gather them up and watched as she laid them back out in the pattern. "I've been reviewing the file, I think I've found a pattern. A possible place to start" Hinata answered before turning to him and smiling her hello. "I thought we could talk a little more today, maybe work out a few of the more logistic aspects of the mission" she continued as he rubbed the back of his head and nodded looking from one page to the next. With a sheepish grin he said "Sounds good, could you start by explaining the pattern?" "Hai, I've been able to lay out a potential pattern of how he chooses his victims" she said focusing back on that papers but at a small noise beside her she turned and caught a strange expression on Naruto's face. "You've found a pattern to…. How? No one else was able to" Naruto stated, disbelief plain in his voice. Hinata flinched, not really surprised by his reaction.

She looked back down at the papers, squared her shoulders and blushing a little from embarrassment and maybe a little hurt she continued "I think he's using politics, more specifically village politics to move behind the scenes. He selects his victims in whatever village is the most politically active, usually in some type of disagreement. Then plans to have what kekai genkai users he can, caught and moved in some fashion that is covered by the unrest in the village. Missions gone awry mostly, there's even a case where a young girl 'ran away' with a boyfriend who was later found in another village living quite happily without her. The boyfriend swears they had separated a long time ago but the family and her friends swear the opposite. Nothing could ever be proven in regards to whether he was involved or not but maybe…either way the pattern plays out in that way with Tsubasa always so far away he claims he couldn't possibly be involved." She paused long enough to look at Naruto, she'd been pointing to various papers arranged in a semi circle arched away from them as she talked. He seemed to be focusing on what she said but his brows were furrowed and she was afraid she wasn't explaining well enough.

Focusing back on the papers in front of her she reordered her thoughts and began again, pointing to the second row of papers in a semi circle under the first she said "These papers are the alibis that Tsubasa used in each case. He's always in a village at least three days travel from where the disappearances occur. Since we've learned of his…preferences, we've been able to confirm that there are clubs in each of these towns. As his associates take care of gathering the victims he goes and enjoys himself somewhere he can use as an alibi. But," and she paused there as well to check Naruto's expression, to see if he was piecing it together as she spoke. When that did not appear to be the case she continued "he always travels to the victims' villages one week later. Once he became a possible player his movements were tracked, and in the last three cases out the many that we know of he's made sure to be in the town exactly one week later. A week after that, the victims' are usually discovered. None live through the stripping of their abilities, even though we know that they don't have to die."

"You think that he does the deed himself, then kills them so that they can't throw off his alibis?" Naruto cut in, voice tight and body tensing next to her. "I'm not sure, but I think he does supervise" she paused before adding "He would want to watch." She looked up and met Naruto's eyes, watched as the realization struck, watched the pieces fall into place. He looked back down at the papers and then to her and with a humorless smile said "I think that is the most I have ever heard you talk." Hinata blinked in surprise and flushed, looking back at him. "You are brilliant Hinata-chan." Hinata felt the heat in her cheeks increase and turned her head to let her hair hide her face. "Arigato, but I'm not sure I'm right. I know I don't have all the pieces together yet. It's a start though and it's a possibility." Naruto seemed to get caught in the pattern again and then spoke with a sudden burst of energy, "If you're right it means that we have until a week after they take the victims to find them. It could give us a little more time to get the information we need."

Hinata shook her head, "We can't take the chance that I'm wrong. We will have to continue with original plan. Find out where and who before the date that was given. We also have to assume that this information, while it seems to be correct could be slightly…off. Especially given the manner in which it was retrieved. We only have about a week to finish preparing and that only gives us a couple of weeks to get close to Tsubasa and to find out all the information we need to stop this." Naruto was quiet after she'd finished but not still. He reached out to brush her hair back from her face, his own serious. His fingers grazed her cheek as he did so. Hinata did not jump at the touch but it was a close thing. One 'touch' session was hardly going to familiarize her with the new knowledge that it was _Naruto_ who was touching her. Silly though it was with her experience and training, Naruto's touch still had a very different effect on her.

Letting out her breath in a steady stream and drawing in another, Hinata lifted her head. Turning it as she did, she ended up leaning into Naruto's touch. It was on purpose, a subtle continuation of their earlier training the day before. Naruto seemed to realize this because he kept his hand where it was fingers sliding along the curve of her ear as he tucked her hair out of the way. Then lingering on her cheek and finally sliding down and around to the back of her neck. Unconsciously, Hinata softened letting her head fall back slightly to be supported by his hand. She watched Naruto's reaction, the shift in his expression that suggested he hadn't expected the acceptance. He did not seem to mind however as his fingers began to lightly massage the tense muscles of her neck. "We will complete this mission. Look how far you have gotten us already. We have a potential insight into something that has been known for about a week. The intel was giving under extreme circumstances but that doesn't mean that we can't trust that in the basics it is true. We plan the best we can and then we adjust as we go" he said, his voice confident and just light enough that the dark mood of moments ago began to drift away.

"We should talk more about this, and we need to settle our approach. We still haven't come up with a back story or a way to explain our sudden, and if what Tsunade-baa-chan is suggesting, attention grabbing appearance in the club. And we need to continue the training from yesterday" Naruto said. Hinata remained relaxed in his hold, letting the gentle kneading of his finger continue to banish the harsh feelings inside her. After a few minutes she lifted her head and his hand fell away, brushing his fingers along her throat as it went. She tamped down on the shiver that wanted to rise and nodded. "You're right. I was thinking the same thing before coming here today." Hinata gestured to the papers spread before them "Perhaps we can do both trainings at once, time is limited and we need to move quickly." "Hai" Naruto answered and then waited, and Hinata realized he was letting her lead. Taking a deep breath she slid closer, waited a second for Naruto to shift his arm out of the way and then pressed into his side. She felt his easy acceptance of her presence, her closeness. Settling in so that she sat with her knees folded and out to her side away from him, she leaned against him and slid her hand to rest against his knee. Her arm from elbow to fingers rested on his thigh for support and after an initial slight tensing as her fingers had moved Naruto relaxed and settled his arm around her waist.

Hours later, they'd developed at least a basic plan. They needed to travel quickly to the village in the Land of Water. It would take almost three days moving at top speed and they couldn't afford to draw attention. They decided to move at a moderate pace, sacrificing a few days of training in the village for continued training on the road. More practical in that it would require them to convince other people of their 'relationship' before ever reaching Tsubasa.

As for their 'relationship', they decided that newlyweds would be best. Two people who had been together for years before moving on with their plans for marriage and travel. They would suggest that they hadn't decided where to live yet, would be simply checking out several possibilities. All of these possibilities would need to have clubs or places that would allow them to enjoy their other intimate 'interests' which would in some ways at least have to coincide with Tsubasa's in order to draw a tighter connection.

"We might not be able to convince him that we have a lot of experience in these clubs" Hinata said quietly. At one point Naruto and she had shifted to lean back against the tree, Naruto's back flush with the bark while she leaned into his shoulder. Near legs touching from hip to calves. "I think we can do it" Naruto stated with his usual confidence and Hinata smiled up at him. "Have you ever been to a club like this Naruto-kun?" she asked. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, face coloring just a little and shook his head. "Well, I have" she felt the small jolt of surprise that hit him as his head whipped around so he could look at her. It was her turn to flush, though she had never had that response when discussing these topics with Ino or other partners in the past. "You've been to places that….You've been to..." Naruto trailed off, and couldn't quite seem to figure out what he'd meant to say. Hinata nodded to confirm and then said "Hai, for a few missions in the past. They are very different places and usually each one has a different feel and rules. We will have to be knowledgeable novices. We need to have a good idea of what to expect but still be new to the experience." "Which in my case is going to be true" Naruto said slowly and Hinata could still feel a minor tension in how his arm settled around her shoulders. She wanted to ask him why but figured it was more that he did not know the full extent of her training or her experience with missions such as this one. "It will work out just fine that way" Hinata tried to assure him. He seemed lost in thought though and she hesitated to say anything further until he had spoken himself.

While he thought, she let her attention move to where her hands were resting, one partially curled on his chest. The other was resting on her own leg. With no thought to what reaction he might have, looking more just to comfort than anything else she shifted. Raising her hand to capture the hand over her shoulders, she tangled her fingers with his. Hinata squeezed his hand then untangled her fingers from his to lightly trace them. Gentle ghosting touches that would bring his nerves to life, even with the calluses that his duties and training had given him.

She was sure she imagined the ever so slight increase in the tension in the muscles of his body. Wanting to see his face again she turned to look at him and found his blue eyes trained on her. There was a moment when her brain did a stutter step before falling back in the normal rhythm. "That feels nice" he said simply but his voice was just a little different and Hinata felt goosebumps shiver along her skin. Maybe awareness, or lack thereof on Naruto's part, was more a product of his never having looked at her in that way. 'Or maybe you are hoping for something that is going to result in more pain than you can accept' Hinata scolded herself mentally before tangling her fingers firmly with Naruto's once again.

"Okay, so my lack of experience with these clubs is actually a benefit" Naruto said suddenly, voice light and normal. His body relaxed and he settled in once more. Hinata felt the internal ricochet of her own feelings and used more of her training to keep the discomfort from her face. "So you said a basic understanding of what to expect?" Hinata heard Naruto say and it was a second before she caught onto the question in the words. "Um…Hai. You can expect a lot of physical contact between the people there. Depending on the club there might be private rooms or there might not. If not there could be couples or more in the process of…well…" she trailed off and Naruto gave a soft guffaw of laughter. "There will be people having sex in public" he stated and she was strangely thankful he'd said it for her. "Yes and other things. We don't have the full details of what the club rules are. So it might be that we will have to see when we get there and I'll do my best to navigate us both through" Hinata said quietly, hesitating to imply Naruto would need help. "Alright" he said in return and his easy acceptance was back.

He seemed completely over the shock of her past experience and not the least bit bothered. Hinata once again felt the hurt rise up. The ache that while knowing he had had past partners hurt her on a fundamental level, he was unaffected. She hated herself for it even as she began to draw away from him. "Gomen Naruto-kun, but I need to go. I have to meet with my father about clan business and Ino is coming tonight to drop off the outfits that were chosen for me" she said as she disentangled herself and stood brushing debris from her pants and jacket. She was moving to gather the papers back into the file when Naruto surprised her with a hand on her upper back. The lightest touch between her shoulder blades raising goosebumps once again.

"I'll pick them up, I was going to ask to keep them and take another look tonight. I'm not as quick with this stuff as you are" foxy grin in place he slid his hand off of her back and gathered the papers in his hands. "Tomorrow?" he asked, looking at her as the sun dropped below the horizon. Hinata nodded even as she registered the fact that they had spent an entire day together, most of it in close contact. "Same time? Here?" Naruto prompted and she drew herself back to the moment. "No" she said, shaking her head, "We should meet somewhere public, in civilian clothes, preferably the ones we are going to be wearing on the mission. We need to move forward with the training." "Alright, Ichiraku? Around 11?" he asked and she nodded before they said their goodbyes and headed in opposite directions.

Hinata couldn't quite shake the feeling that something had shifted. Something between them was different. For the mission that was undeniably good, as for Hinata herself, well she would have to wait and see if she came out of the mission intact.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Author's Notes: First let me say how very sorry I am that I have not updated in so long. Life has a way of taking control and running away with my time. I'm trying to get that time back little by little. I did not want to post the next chapter until I was reasonably sure I would be able to update more regularly. For all of you who have stuck with me and _The Mission_ thank you so much and I hope you enjoy! As always please let me know what you think, reviews are greatly appreciated even if you have some constructive criticism!

~Luna

Hinata had just returned to her room after meeting with her father, a discussion that had included clan business and her role in her current mission when there was a knock on her door. She hurried to open the door and let in the kunoichi waiting in the hall. Ino stood, arms full of garment bags and looking quite pleased with herself. Hinata reached out and gathered some of the bags from the other kunoichi as she greeted her with a smile of her own. "Ino-chan! Please come in, thank you for bringing the clothes."

As soon as the clothes were dropped on Hinata's futon and the table or floor Ino turned and wrapped her arm around Hinata's shoulders in a quick familiar squeeze. "You're welcome Hina-chan! I got a quick summary of your mission from Shizune-san. How is it going? How are you managing?" "It's going surprisingly well. Naruto-kun and I are settling into a familiarity of sorts quicker than I thought we would." Hinata returned the squeeze around Ino's waist then stepped away to begin unpacking the clothes and examining what she would be required to wear for the foreseeable future. Ino stopped her half way to her goal however and smiling wickedly said "Oh please let me. You just sit down there and take them in." A shiver slid down Hinata's back and she closed her eyes for a brief second longer than usual before taking a seat and a breath and letting her friend open the first bag.

The following hours were full of blushes, groans, sighs and aborted giggles on the parts of both young women. When it was over Hinata had a smile on her face and a fluttery feeling in her stomach. "This will definitely be a change to what he has seen me in, in the past" she managed to say as she caught her breath and took a quick sip of the tea that had been brought to them shortly after Ino's arrival. It was cold now but still flavourful and she enjoyed the refreshing coolness as it slide down her laugh roughened throat. "That's a guarantee, he won't know what hit him" Ino confirmed moving to sit next to Hinata and sip her own cool tea. "When will you meet him next?" "We need to meet each day, spend the full day 'training' and preparing. We will meet tomorrow at Ichiraku." Hinata let the color that rose in her face come and go and did not look at Ino. Their friendship had developed because it was needed for the missions they often performed together but the depth and continued connection remained because they had come to like and care for each other. Hinata would never have expected to get so close with Ino before the missions but now couldn't imagine what life would have been or would be like without the pale haired kunoichi.

Ino made a small noise in her throat and then reached out to touch Hinata's hand. "I think you should wear something other than your normal training clothes when you go tomorrow. Not necessarily something that you have for the mission" she hurried to clarify as Hinata tensed. "Just something you have already, maybe one of those soft dresses we picked up in the capital while on the mission six months ago. They were so pretty and they really bring out your eyes. You could surprise him." The wicked gleam was back in her eyes and Hinata shook her head just a little at her impish friend. "We did not agree to wear civilian clothes tomorrow I would feel over dressed, and he might feel uncomfortable" Hinata managed to say, but Ino waved it away with an elegant hand and rose to move to Hinata's small closet. "Send him a note tonight and he'll be all set, it ruins the surprise but then you won't have to worry. And really Hina you need to get used to wearing the civies around him, and to seeing him in his."

"I know. We've discussed the need but…." Hinata trailed off as Ino pulled a soft cotton sun dress out of her closet. It was deep blue and had been embroidered with pale blue and white flowers around the hem. Vines and leaves crawled up the length to the waist. When she wore it, the vines, leaves and flowers would appear to climb and slide over the fabric when she moved. The sweetheart neckline and inch wide shoulder straps were modest but feminine and a light blue long sleeved jacket would complete the look. Hinata let herself imagine wearing it to meet Naruto, let her apprehension slide through and out of her before moving to her desk to pen him a quick letter which she then gave to the hawk waiting quietly on the perch by her window. She stroked the predator's feathers and offered him a treat before sliding the window open and with a light touch of chakra to show him where to go sent him on his way.

"Alright" she said as she turned, "how should I do my hair and are the dark blue flats ok?" Ino's smile lit her face and made her look even more beautiful. "I'll show how to do the wrapped braid, your hair is long enough now and the flats should be fine. You'll be more comfortable that way and you can save the heels for another time to really throw him." Ino winked and Hinata flushed but smiled back and moved to sit in front of the small vanity so that Ino could show her how to do her hair.

Hinata stood outside Ichiraku waiting for Naruto, just past eleven and he was still nowhere to be seen. She tried not to fidget as villagers passed, some glancing at her and smiling. She knew that they were not used to seeing her in clothes other than formal kimono or her training clothes. As time passed and the sun rose higher Hinata moved further into the shade of the ramen stand. This late in summer the heat was more subdued but the dark color of the dress made her feel warm. Skin prickling and emotions rocking between exasperation and nervousness she tried to determine if she should wait longer or go and search for the absent blonde shinobi. The choice was taken from her a few minutes later.

"Hinata-chan!" the yell rang out from down the street and Hinata's head whipped around in the direction of Naruto's voice to see him hurrying down the street to her. He was dressed simply in blue jeans and a loose t-shirt, blonde hair hanging in spikes over his forehead without the customary protector. She resisted the urge to reach out and brush it back. The shirt was swaying around him, a frog printed on the front and she couldn't help but smile. He was instantly forgiven. "I'm so sorry Hinata! I ran into Shikamaru on the way here and he needed to talk to me about something. I tried to make it quick but lost track of time." Naruto rushed the words out as he slid to a stop in front of her a small plume of dust rising about his feet. Sheepishly rubbing the back of his head and foxy grin in place he waited for her verdict.

"That's alright Naruto-kun. I understand." Hinata moved out of the shade to stand closer to him. "Are you hungry?" Naruto chuckled before answering, "When am I not? Let's eat!" Apology accepted and forgiveness given she watched as the foxy grin dropped and the squinted eyes opened fully. Naruto took in her appearance and he smiled a gentler smile before reaching past her to open the hanging flaps of the shop so she could pass under without ducking. She returned the smile and saying a quiet "Thank you" turned to enter the shop. She tried not to let the lack of reaction to her change of appearance bother her.

Naruto followed her in, close enough she could feel the heat of his body against her back. She moved quickly to a stool and took a seat. Ayame smiled from behind the counter as Naruto joined her. She looked from Hinata to Naruto a couple times before asking for their order. Naruto replied simply with "The usual Ayame-san, Thanks!" and Hinata ordered the daily special. Minutes later bowls were placed in front of them and they hadn't said another word to each other. Hinata cringed internally and tried to think of something to discuss other than the mission. When she came up blank she turned to look at Naruto to find that the silence had not bothered him at all. He was happily slurping noodles and smiling up at Ayame as she chatted with him about his last visit. Hinata turned back and again felt the discomfort of how awkward she always was with him. The slight ease that they had gained since the battle with Pein was diminished, at least on her part, from the necessity of being forced so physically close to him for the mission. She ate quietly, mind musing on the times she'd spent with him. The training they had already completed, which did not amount to much and the distance they still had to go before they would be able to realistically convince Tsubasa that they were intimate. Frowning slightly she missed Naruto speaking to her until she felt his warm hand land on her arm. She did not jump but it was close. Blinking out of her reverie she turned to him with an apologetic smile and said "I'm sorry Naruto-kun, I did not hear you".

Naruto nodded without upset and smiled back. "I asked if you had finished, you haven't taken a bite for awhile and I was wondering if you were ready to head out and continue our training?" Hinata looked back to her bowl which was still half full and set her chopsticks next to the spoon by her bowl. Turning back she nodded to him "I am finished actually." She turned to Ayame and after thanking her and paying for her ramen stood from her stood. She waited patiently as Naruto paid for his and then stepped out of the stall after he once again lifted the flaps for her. After they had both exited the stall she felt Naruto's hand land on her upper back before sliding down her spine to her rest on her lower back. She felt goose bumps rise on her arms and was grateful for the long sleeves of the jacket. The hand disappeared after he'd led her through the few people who had been immediately outside the stall. Then without saying anything they both turned to head to the same training ground of the day before.

Hinata waited until they were standing by the tree they had rested against the day before then took a deep breath and looked up at Naruto's face. "I am worried that we will not be able to convince Tsubasa that we are a couple. We don't have enough time to become comfortable with each other. We still have so much to do and…." She trailed off as his face changed. Naruto looked upset in a way that confused her. He seemed almost hurt. "You don't feel comfortable with me?" He asked when she fell quiet. "It's not that, really. It's just that we have to be able to touch" she released the breath that was half caught in her chest and finished " and kiss, be intimate in the most extreme way and I trust you completely but this might be moving too slowly." As the last word left her lips she wished she could take it back. She could see the wheels turning in his mind, eyes and expression lightening as he let go of the small hurt her earlier words has caused. "So we just need to move quicker?" he asked with a nod, almost as if he were answering his own question. "Yes?" she answered anyway, but it came out as more of a question and the exchange had her shaking her head and taking a seat on her hip, knees to her side and skirt draped to cover her legs completely. Naruto joined her sitting close. "We got pretty comfortable with just touching yesterday, being close, right?" he asked as he settled. She nodded, they had but it was still so new.

A quiet fell between them again and Hinata struggled not to feel off balance. She was the one with more experience in this type of mission and yet she found herself floundering. Her feelings were getting the better of her. The determination with which she had entered, the vow to put her feelings for the man next her aside was still there but she had loved him for the better part of most of her life. She reached up to rub her left temple and then felt a light touch at her right. Naruto's fingers slid along her hairline and the his other hand covered her own at her temple. He drew her hand away and then rubbed both sides for her. She sighed and willed her mind to settle, her muscles to relax. Closing her eyes she focused on the sensation of his fingers on her skin. When he slid them down to her cheeks and then along her jaw line and her neck she held still for him and simply felt.

"You look really nice Hinata-chan." When Naruto spoke minutes later, his voice was quiet. Words floating through the air and sliding along her skin. She felt heat begin to rise, in her cheeks and elsewhere. Her eyes came open, head tilted down as his fingers continued to work along her neck finding the tension and easing the muscles. As Hinata looked down at the grass and the fabric of his jeans as he sat in front of her she wished she had not braided her hair to wrap around the crown of her head and hang off the one side of her shoulder. There was nothing for her to hide her reaction behind and she desperately wanted to hide it. "I meant to tell you earlier but I was trying to get used to it first. You don't wear dresses, at least not that I've seen and you look good in them." Naruto continued and she felt her cheeks redden more. "Um, arigato Naruto-kun. You look very nice as well." She replied because she had to say something, it would be rude not too. He snorted, loudly, and just like that the small spell that had woven around them was gone. "I'm in jeans and an oversized old t-shirt Ero-senin gave me when I was 12. You are wearing a dress that, well it makes me feel a little under dressed to be honest" he was smiling and his fingers had fallen from her neck. Hinata's head rose quickly, not quite a jerk but close. Eyes wide with regret she replied "Oh no! I'm so sorry Naruto-kun. That was not my intention. It was Ino's idea that we wear civilian clothing today and I should have gone with my first instinct and said no." "No, no, it's fine. I like seeing you this way" he said quickly, obviously trying to make her feel better about making him feel better. She blinked and was utterly lost for what to say next. Then Naruto laughed, a small snicker at first and then a full on laugh and Hinata found herself smiling and laughing quietly along.

"So more touching practice?" Naruto asked after they had quieted. Hinata nodded and head tilting she reached up with a small smile "My turn" she said repeating his words from the first day. Naruto blinked smile still in place and nodded his head, leaning toward her just slightly. Her fingers brushed along his forehead and the tips of his hair starting in the center and then sliding down and along the sides of his face. She could feel the start of the growth of his beard, a prickling just barely sensed by her fingertips. Traveling down his chin and then his neck, she slid her hands towards the back of his neck and without giving him much warning leaned in. Shifting to her knees she let her arms continue to slide along his shoulders until her face was next to his. The just there stubble on his cheek tickled the skin of her own. Folding her arms around him she let one hand rest along his upper back and the other come to rest on the nape of his neck the ends of his hair tickling her skin. She stilled then, embracing him and waiting to see what he would do. 

Instead of tensing as she'd half expected, he relaxed into the embrace and raised his arms to circle around her back. His arms were heavily muscled and felt good. His fingertips ended up brushing her ribcage on either side as he shifted to his knees as well. They ended up pressed close. Chest to chest and thighs touching, the embrace took on a different feel from her initial innocent intent. She shifted back a little to put some space between them and he let her, and again it struck her that it was her discomfort that was getting in the way. "Is this ok? Are you comfortable?" he asked in her ear. She nodded slightly and closed her eyes.

They remained that way for several minutes before drawing back at the same time. Naruto was smiling slightly and he looked completely comfortable. Hinata tried to return the smile but her body was tingling wherever they had touched and she was unsure if it would look as relaxed as his. As she worked to come up with something to say he surprised her by reaching out and running his hand over her hair following the braid to the end. Then he looked up and catching her eyes he asked softly "Can I take it out?" Hinata nodded and watched as he pulled the small band free from the end before working his fingers through the length, separating the stranding and drifting them over her shoulders. Again goose bumps worked over her skin as he massaged her scalp after the braid was out. Her hair was wavy from the braid and she waited for him to stop playing with her hair, but he didn't. "It's really soft" he remarked, eyes following his fingers. She nodded dumbly and let her eyes fall shut. It occurred to her that he was the one leading the training this time. Hinata could admit that she was comfortable with that, she trusted him explicitly and was actually interested to see where he would lead them next.

A minute later she felt the lightest brush of his fingers over her cheek and then down her neck, sliding behind and into her hair. With a little pressure he drew her forward and her heart picked up its pace just a little. Then jack hammered behind her sternum when she felt his lips slide along her cheek. Eyes shooting open she blinked dumbly at the side of his face. When he leaned back she tried to gather her composure. Naruto smiled at her, foxy grin and all and she smiled back on impulse. "There, not so bad right?" he asked, "We'll be fine Hinata-chan. We can be ready in time." She nodded, thinking that she never should have doubted Naruto's ability to do the impossible. "We should talk more about our back story" she said quietly and he drew farther back then moved to lean back against the tree much as he had been the day before. Opening his arms he smiled and waited and she moved to join him.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Author's Notes: Hello there! Here's another small update, unfortunately it looks like small chapters and updates might be the only way I'll get this story finished. I hope you all with forgive me and hang in there with me through this. I'll try to do another short chapter update this next week to follow up on where this chapter leaves off as it's mostly meant to be a set up for the next step in their training. As always please review and share your thoughts with me I love to hear from you!

~Luna

The tension Hinata had felt for most of the day slid away as she settled herself into Naruto's side. His arm can around her waist as she flicked the skirt of her dress to drift over the upper part of her legs. It ended up half on her and covering one of Naruto's legs as well and she was moving to pull it back when Naruto caught her arm in his other hand. "It's fine", he did not say anything else and for some reason Hinata found herself flushing. Unsure what had caused the reaction, his arm around her waist or the tone of his voice, she finished settling and tried to focus back on what they were meant to be talking about. "Our back story…" she started but found herself floundering, "we agreed on newlyweds. And we agreed we should have known each other for quite awhile. I think we stick as much to the truth as possible." She turned her head to glance at him as she finished. Naruto was nodding, a small crease present just between his brows. "It will make it easier to remember and we should be able to make it believable" he agreed. Taking up the conversation Naruto began to narrate "So we've known each other since school, the academy, and we were in the same class. We can't hide the fact that we are shinobi and so we shouldn't try. We can both be jounin as we are now. You come from a more prominent family and I was an orphan. We became friends and stayed that way for most of our lives until a few years ago when you took control of the relationship and moved us to the next step."

Hinata blinked at him, it was almost too close to the truth. She had meant to deviate it a bit more but it actually suited the mission pretty well. Even the way he described it would work well, her taking control. It was what they were meant to portray. She looked away and thoughtfully said "Yes, that sounds about right. And we can say that we began experimenting with the fetish fairly quickly, but never really took it as far as we wanted until moving to the village and finding a recommendation for the club. After looking into it we decided it was time to take our pleasures beyond our own home. Maybe even suggest that we are looking to try something entirely new, like an additional partner." Hinata trailed off when she glanced back at him and saw he was frowning. "Is there something wrong?" she asked, concerned that talking about that portion of the mission might be uncomfortable and if they couldn't talk about it then the physical aspect would be even harder. Her earlier worry reared its head and she began to shift away to more fuller turn to face him. Naruto nodded, "Yea, if we are sticking to the truth then I don't think we can pull off the additional partner." "Oh" Hinata said quietly but couldn't think of what else to say.

Naruto crossed his now empty arms and with his eyes squinted in his fox face, he nodded. "I wouldn't share" he said firmly. "Oh" Hinata echoed herself, a note of surprise entering her voice that she didn't try to hide. "Alright, well we can stay away from that suggestion then, if it would make you more comfortable." She kept her eyes on his face, it wasn't changing. He looked no more happy or upset than before she'd agreed. Hinata was just about to ask him to explain what he would be more comfortable with but he asked a question first. "Would you?" His voice was low. Thrown she answered what she thought he was asking. "I will be comfortable with that yes, I had not really wanted to add another person to this. It just seemed like a likely suggestion." "Well you have more experience with this particular subject than I do but I meant would you want to share me?" Hinata's face flamed before she registered that she was going to react that way and she battled to control it, turning her head to let her wavy locks cover her face. Shocked by his question and unsure why he had felt the need to elaborate she took a second to consider her answer. Working with Naruto on this mission was likely going to be the most trying experience of her life and it would only be worse if her feelings were dragged back into the open space between them. There was no need to remind Naruto of something that was quite obviously not what he wanted. She took a slight breath and then shook her head. "No I would not likely share you either. Especially if I'm supposed to be in control and we are sticking close to truth." She glanced up after a pause and saw that Naruto's eyes were open, blue shaded by the tree's leaves making them seem darker.

He just watched her for a moment longer then nodded and abruptly shifted back to his earlier mood. Smiling his foxy grin he remained leaning back against the tree and let his arms fall to his sides. Hinata remained sitting on her hip, a slight distance away and waited.

Naruto moved a second later, sliding his fingers into her hair. He began to stroke his fingers down, pull them free and then slide them back in repeating the motion. In an unspoken understanding Hinata moved to rest one hand on the ground near his hip, the other she left fall to rest on his leg just above his knee. The sensation of his fingers in her hair helping her to relax, even as her scalp began to tingle. Heat began to blossom in her stomach and she pushed to reaction down. There would be a time to let it rise, a time when she really wouldn't have a choice if the mission was going to succeed. She turned to face him and smiled a small smile. He returned it, his fingers sliding her hair over her shoulder and coming to rest on her skin. They still needed to train after all.

Hours later found Hinata standing in her room resting her head back against her closed door. They hadn't moved any further along in their physical training but they had talked for a time after. Settling on a story that fit reality in a way that made her faintly nauseous and jittery. She struggled to push the feelings aside and focus on the next step of their training. She was supposed to meet up with him again in about an hour. She needed to change into clothes more appropriate for a night out and do her hair.

Before leaving to run a few errands Naruto had asked her if she would meet him at the recently opened bar near Ichiraku. It was a nice place, with music playing just loud enough to make private conversations possible without making ears ring or throats sore from yelling. She liked the idea, it would put them in a different environment and force a new level of interaction. Dancing was possible, even with the smaller floor space in the far corner and the music usually had a nice beat. Hinata had gone only once before with Ino but she and Ino had had a wonderful time.

Now she moved to her closet and began to run her hands over her clothes. She still did not think she could bring herself to wear the outfits that Ino had purchased for her. In Konoha it would draw far too much attention to her in a way that would be more than uncomfortable. She stopped when she reached the pale rose pants that Ino had given her as a gift for her birthday the previous year. They fit like a second skin but were so soft she knew she would be able to move and be comfortable. Pulling them out and laying them on her bed she pulled a dark red shirt out of the closet next. It would be longer coming just to the very top of her thighs and would hang loose but shift with every movement. It would both hide her and eventuate her curves. She flushed a bit, it would come up to her neck but it also had an open back with thin straps to tie it closed at the base of her neck, just below her shoulder blades and at her waist. She laid it out with the pants before she could second guess her choice and moved to pull a short cream jacket out of the closet as well. It would only cover her upper back but it would help at least at first.

The walk to the bar was fairly quiet and Hinata managed to ignore the looks she received as she made her way from the compound. She had a harder time ignoring the dropped jaws, but she kept her flush to a minimum. The door of the bar was a welcome sight and the bass from the music slid into her as she reached out to take the handle and pull the door open.

Moving into the semi-darkness of the bar she let the atmosphere of the place wrap around her. Her eyes did not take the same time to adjust as most people's eyes would have and she was able to see clearly before the door had closed behind her. Hinata moved quickly into the room, away from the entrance and to the side. She saw Naruto almost as soon as she was away from the door. His distinctive blond hair was still bright in the dim light. The dark shirt he wore was more close fitting than she'd ever seen him wear. It hugged his shoulders and only loosed slightly as it reached his waist. The muscles of his upper back were clearly defined. Taking advantage of the fact that he was facing away from her she let her eyes travel down to take in the still darker pants that he wore. They hugged him as well, in ways that had her flushing and pulling her eyes away. It would not be a good idea to let him catch her staring if he turned.

Naruto was gesturing animatedly, apparently in conversation with someone Hinata could not see on the other side of him. She moved to him, coming up slightly to the left and doing nothing to hide her chakra. It was never a good idea to approach a shinobi from behind and not 'announce' your presence. Those surprises never ended well. When she was level with his shoulders she reached out and brushed her hand over his arm. She had just the fleeting thought that the way they were about to act with each other might give those that saw them pause, it might lead to uncomfortable situations in the future. The thought was not even fully formed with the kunoichi in her pushed it aside with a determined acceptance. If how they interacted here gave the people who had known them virtually all their lives the impression that something was going on between them then it would be accomplishing what they needed for the mission. The fact that most everyone who would seem them tonight would know of her feelings for him and his lack of equivalent feelings in return would mean that convincing them might actually be more difficult in the long run.

Hinata looked at Naruto's face as he turned from his conversation and looked at her. His eyes met her's immediately and he smiled. Broad and bright, his smile split his face deepening the slit scars on his cheeks. She smiled back, smile no less happy and bright if less broad. Naruto's eyes shifted from her's to her high pony tail, then reflexively down. Hinata held still and let him look as he pleased. This was part of the training. He needed to accustom himself to seeing her in something other than her shinobi clothes. She also needed to get used to his eyes on her. Hinata couldn't blush every time he looked at her or allow her self-consciousness to get the better of her. She did keep her eyes on his face though, watching his reaction as much for personal reasons as to gauge how far they would need to go in the training. His face only changed slightly. A minute tightening of the muscles around his jaw. It was a sign of approval she'd been taught in her seduction classes. It didn't mean that he was attracted to her, simply that he thought she looked nice. It was enough for now.

Hinata turned to look at the person that Naruto had been conversing with. It turned out to be Sakura. Hinata smiled at her, "Hello Sakura-san". "Hi Hinata" Sakura replied smiling in return. She was wearing a light green dress, it came to her knees and was strapless. She looked amazing. Hinata felt a slight pang. It was no secret that Naruto had been in love with Sakura since they were children, a young love that Hinata could sympathize with. Sakura was looking from Naruto to Hinata in a way that suggested he had filled her in on the mission. The look in her eyes unnerved Hinata just a little. It was a look of anticipation that reflected the look in Ino's eyes the other night when she had delivered the clothes for the mission. To Hinata's shock it looked very much like Sakura thought something more would come from this mission other than the apprehension of the target. She was trying to figure out a way to respond when she felt Naruto's hands settle on her upper arms. He had moved behind her while she had greeted Sakura. She did not know if he'd seen the bare skin of her back, was almost certain he couldn't as close as he was. The angle would be wrong. He leaned down closer to her ear his breath warm as he asked "Do you want me to help you with your jacket?" Momentarily thrown by his touch and the feel of his breath sliding over her neck, she nodded. It was such a gentlemanly thing to do, something she would not have necessarily expected from him. Naruto could still surprise her.

His hands slid up her arms to her shoulders and forward just enough to catch the jacket's edges near her neck. It still raised goose bumps on her skin. They faded quickly which she was grateful for as he slid the jacket back and off her shoulders. She let her arms move back to accommodate the slide of the fabric. It pushed her chest just slightly forward, constricting her shoulders before it was down to her elbows and then to her wrists. Her high pony tail would do nothing to hide the bare skin the jacket's removal would reveal. She held her breath for a moment but could not detect any reaction from the man behind her. She pulled her hands free and turned to take the jacket from him. Keeping her eyes on the floor to avoid the pain the lack of reaction would likely cause she wondered if she would ever get used to his indifference. It would have helped her to know that there was even a slight involuntary attraction, something to build the rest on. The mission needed some attraction on both their parts. She just barely registered his slight hesitation before he released the jacket to her.

There was a slight gasp behind her as she gave Sakura her back. She turned back around quickly, a slight flush on her skin. Sakura was recovering well, a smile on her face. She gestured at Hinata's shirt. "I like your top, I think I remember Ino telling me about it after she went shopping with you. I agree with her, it's lovely and it looks really nice on you." "Uh, arigato Sakura-san" Hinata nodded to her in thanks and continued "Your dress is very beautiful as well. You look wonderful." As she was speaking she watched Sakura look up and back behind her to Naruto. The smile on Sakura's face changed ever so slightly and she said "I can see now why Naruto looked the way he did." Then she was waving and making apologies about needing to get a drink at the bar across the room and she was gone.

Following Sakura with her eyes was just an excuse to remain turned away from Naruto. Hinata knew she would have to turn back to him eventually. Sakura's last statement still floated through the air around them and Hinata was letting the implications settle in her mind.


End file.
